Artist Gerard M Burns on his latest female-centred exhibit at Glasgow’s Eusebi’s Deli

National World - LocalTV

We spoke to Gerard M Burns, an artist who has painted the likes of Nicola Sturgeon, Ewan McGregor and Billy Connolly, at Eusebi’s in the West End at the launch of his newest exhibit.

Transcript

00:00We're getting filmed here, away you go.

00:02Look at Nona in the background.

00:04Just lean forward, Gerry, from there.

00:06This particular painting is part of a new exhibition,

00:09a new series of paintings I'm working on

00:12for an exhibition entitled Mother Glasgow.

00:15The exhibition will feature 12 women from around the world

00:20who've chosen to make the city of Glasgow their home.

00:22So far I have six of the 12,

00:26and this particular lady, this amazing lady,

00:30Gina Eusebi, was suggested to me.

00:33Most of the sitters...

00:35I haven't gone looking specifically for people.

00:38Most of the sitters have been either suggested

00:42or have presented themselves.

00:44And when I heard her story, she came here at the age of 17.

00:48An amazing life story.

00:50So I think she's going to be the oldest sitter.

00:55I know I say that to her.

00:57I think she's going to be the oldest sitter.

01:00But I've got a cross-section of ages, of ethnicity.

01:05And the point of the show ultimately is

01:08to focus on the notion of immigration,

01:12which is such a hot potato,

01:14by asking people to focus on individuals and individual stories

01:20rather than to think about homogenous groups,

01:24they or them.

01:26It's much harder if you are having to deal with a person than a group.

01:32I am understanding, as I go along,

01:36that there are layers to this.

01:39I wanted to focus initially specific on the notion of immigration,

01:43and I think initially I thought maybe it wouldn't necessarily be all women.

01:48But to focus on the role of women,

01:50the importance of women in our society, in different cultures,

01:54it just brings an extra huge dimension to the whole narrative.

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